Airline Biz Blog

Rich Parker, lead attorney for U.S. Airways in its defense of its planned merger with American Airlines. The Justice Department has sued to block the merger, and the trial is set to begin Nov. 25. Lawyers for the airlines and the government were in court Wednesday to discuss last-minute issues related to the case. Staff photo / Michael Lindenberger

Update: Rich Parker, lead attorney for US Airways, so it would be inappropriate to say whether the parties have met with a mediator in advance of next months antitrust trial over whether the airline can complete its merger with AMR Corp. to form the world’s largest airline.

He declined, too, to say whether the airlines and the Justice Department have discussed a settlement.

He said a list of expert witnesses — primarily economists – will be filed Nov. 8, but said the identity of the experts won’t be known until some time after that.

He said there are one or two fact witnesses left to depose but other than that the parties are focused on the last stage before the trial: interviewing expert witnesses.

Update: The federal judge overseeing the airline merger trial said today the pretrial maneuvering has proceeded smoothly and “there is no reason the trial won’t begin on time.”

She said Wednesday morning that she’ll accept the parties’ proposed schedules for discovery and other pretrial work, and should issue an order to that effect later today.

Neither party had any concerns to add at the hearing, and will be expected back in court for a final pretrial status hearing on Nov. 21.

Third parties wishing to file friend of court briefs will have until Nov. 15 to do so. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said she’ll rule soon on the remaining requests to file such briefs.

WASHINGTON — Attorneys squaring off in the Nov. 25 antitrust trial involving the merger of American Airlines and U.S. Airways meet today in federal court to update the judge on the status of their preparations.

We’re looking for news on which economists and other experts the airlines and the DOJ, which is seeking to block the merger, will call at trial. It’s possible we’ll near whether the parties have met with the mediator they retained earlier this month, at the judge’s behest.

The hearing begins at 10:30 EST and if the past is a good guide could be over quickly.

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Terry Maxon writes about items of interest to travelers and the aviation community.